Here’s what Louisiana’s Secretary of State candidates say about voter ID, ex-felons voting and other issues

Updated Dec 7, 2018; Posted Dec 7, 2018

Republican State of State Kyle Ardoin and Democratic challenger Gwen Collins-Greenup offered their thoughts on a number of issues affecting elections. Voters will get to pick which candidate they want to be secretary of state in Saturday's election (Dec. 6). Photo by Dinah L. Rogers, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

Louisiana voters will select a secretary of state in the runoff election held Saturday (Dec. 8). Interim Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, a Republican, faces Democratic candidate Gwen Collins-Greenup in the race. The secretary of state oversees Louisiana’s elections, business incorporation papers and the state’s archives.

Ardoin has been serving as the interim secretary of state since Tom Schedler resigned in May after being sued for sexual harassment by one of the office’s employees. Collins-Greenup also has some experience with helping to run elections. She worked for the East Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court’s office before she attended Southern University law school.

Here’s a look at the candidates' positions on several issues related to elections.

Are Louisiana’s voter identification laws adequate?

Voters in the state are encouraged to bring government-issued identification with them to the polls: a driver’s license, a Louisiana special ID or some other “generally recognized” form of picture ID that includes their signature. But they don’t have to do so. Voters who don’t have a photo ID can sign a voter affidavit, according to the secretary of state’s website, which essentially means they vouch for their identity.

That’s more permissive than most other southern states, many of which require a government-issued identification to vote.

Collins-Greenup this week said she wouldn’t favor stricter identification laws, including requiring a government-issued ID. She said she worried that elderly people and those living in rural areas might have a hard time getting such identification, particularly since some older people were born at home and don’t have birth certificates.

Ardoin said he thought the state’s voter identification requirements were “adequate at the moment,” but that the state should also look “at ways to improve” the law.

In an interview, he initially said a new electronic version of a Louisiana driver’s license, stored through a smartphone app, might change the conversation around what identification is needed to vote. “We may not need the affidavit in the future if they have the app,” Ardoin said Wednesday. But on Thursday, Ardoin’s spokesman Tyler Brey said Ardoin was “very happy with affidavit process in place” and not interested in changing it.

Since 2010, 13 states have passed stricter voter identification laws that make it more difficult to cast a ballot, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, but Louisiana isn’t one of them. In fact, Louisiana stands out among conservative and Southern states for not putting more restrictions on voting in recent years. All three of Louisiana’s neighbors – Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas -- had stricter voter identification laws in place during the mid-term elections last month than they did in the 2016 presidential election.

If he wins Saturday’s election, Ardoin may look at expanding the number of government entities that can bring charges in voter and election fraud cases, he said. Right now, only local district attorneys can bring those types of charges.

Ardoin would like that responsibility to extend to the Louisiana attorney general, who is currently Republican Jeff Landry. Ardoin said leaving election fraud charges up to the district attorneys can sometimes be tricky, because the prosecutors are elected officials too and may have a personal relationship with the campaign or candidate being charged with wrongdoing.

That type of law change would require approval from the Louisiana Legislature and governor.

Should Louisiana be restoring voting rights to more ex-prisoners?

Collins-Greenup said she agreed with a new law passed by Gov. John Bel Edwards and the Republican-controlled Legislature that will restore voting rights to thousands of formerly incarcerated people. The law goes into effect in March.

If elected, Collins-Greenup said one of the first things she would do is set up a meeting with the Department of Corrections, probation officers, local registrars of voters and clerks of court to see how best to implement the new law. She said she would also meet with advocacy groups for the formerly incarcerated about the issue.

Ardoin said he did not support the law change, but would comply with implementing it. He said he plans to start meeting with the Department of Corrections about the change in a couple of weeks.

The new law allows people to get their voting rights back if they have been out of prison for at least five years and have never been convicted of voter fraud. They must fill out a form and supply a letter from the Department of Corrections to local election officials stating that they have not been in prison in five years.

Under the current law, these same people sometimes went decades after finishing their prison sentence without being able to vote.

When should people be taken off the voter rolls?

In Louisiana, residents can be taken off the voter rolls after a few years if their home address can’t be confirmed. A person is placed on the inactive voter list if they haven’t participated in two rounds of federal elections and have a home address that can’t be verified through direct contact, the U.S. Postal Service or other means. While on the inactive list, people can still vote, but if they stay on the inactive list for two more federal elections and their home address still can’t be verified, then their voter registrations are canceled.

Collins-Greenup said she would want Louisiana to be very conservative about removing people from the registered voter list, even if they haven’t been active voters recently.

“Not purging people unnecessarily would be a priority,” she said.

Ardoin said in October that Louisiana’s current laws on voter roll purges are adequate. “I mean, we want people to vote,” he said. “The goal is not to kick people off the rolls. The goal is keep people eligible to vote.”

Other states are purging their voter rolls much more quickly than Louisiana. Ohio has the most aggressive law in the country. If a person there skips a single federal election cycle, they are sent a notice asking them to confirm their home address. If they don’t respond within four years, they are kicked off the voter rolls.

Does Louisiana offer enough early and absentee voting?

Louisiana early voting begins 14 days before the election and lasts for a week, with balloting locations closed on Sunday. Anyone can vote early in person. But to vote absentee by mail Louisiana requires a voter meet certain criteria, such as being in the military, out of the country or disabled.

Many other states, however, do not require a reason to request an absentee mail ballot. Proponents say so-called “no- excuse needed" ballots help increase voter turnout.

Collins-Greenup said she thinks early voting should be expanded to last for two weeks before the election, including Sundays and with expanded hours. Such a change would require action from the Legislature and governor.

Ardoin in October said he was pleased with the current early voting system and would not want to look at reducing early voting -- as has been done by Republicans in other conservative states.